Nut lock



3. H. BALLENTINE.

NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, IBIS).

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

' Elwin/whoa JZMEs HBHLLENT/NE Mom, 3

UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NUT LOCK.

Application filed March 29, 1919. Serial No. 286,197.

To all 10710. 2), may concern.

Be it known that 1, JAMES Hmrrnron BALLENTINE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Huntsville, in the county of Madison and State ofAlabama, have in vented certain new and useful improvements in NutLocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in nut-locks of the general typewherein are employed a bolt, with its thread cut, in tersected, orinterrupted by a longitudinal groove, a nut preferably of thecastellated type, and interlocking means therebetween, said means alsoproviding for the locking of a washer therewith, if the use of such bedesired. The invention in its simpler form provides for the locking of anut alone upon a bolt, as in the use of the same without a washer.

Among various objects of my invention, it may be mentioned that the nutis most effectively secured or locked on its bolt as against turning orbeing displaced from a jarring action, or otherwise inadvertentlydisplaced; that the locking or interlocking means are simple, of fewelements and in expensive of manufacture; that its elements are adaptedto be readily and quickly assembled and disassembled that said elementsare capable of being applied in either of two ways in effecting theassembling thereof, as conditions may suggest; and that the aforesaidobjects may be carried out in a simple and effective way, and withfacility.

The invention consists, therefore, of cer-- tain instrumentalities andfeatures of con.- struction of parts substantially as hereinafter morefully disclosed and pointed out by the appended claims,

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated the preferred embodiment ofmy invention (inclusive of a preferred modification thereof), wherein itwill be seen and understood that various changes and modifications whichmay fall within the scope or breadth of the claims, may be made as tothe detailed construction and arrangement of parts without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

of my invention with the elements thereof in assembled and interlockedposition.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, viewingin the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4: is also a transverse section, taken on the line 4.- l ofFigure 1, parts being broken away to disclose the portion of the keywithin the bolt and the lug or head of the key within the annular groovein the inner face of the nut.

Figure?) is a side view of my nut-lock, elements or parts being brokenaway, showing the key or pin having its head received by a notch or slotin the washer instead of within an annular groove in the nut, asdescribed above.

In carrying out my invention, referring now particularly to Figures 1and 2, I employ a bolt 1 threaded as usual for a portion of its length,and in said bolt is provided a longitudinal slot or key-way 2 openingout clear through the outer or unheaded end of the bolt. The slot orkey-way 2 outs, intercepts or interrupts the screw-threaded surface ofthe bolt, preferably nearly the entire length thereof. its innerextremity terminating adjacent the unthreaded portion, or what may betermed the shank of the bolt, the length of the slot, of course, beingonly a matter of expediency.

Another element of the invention consists of preferably what is usuallytermed a castellated nut 23, which is threaded to be readily run on andoff the bolt, and is counterbored to provide an annular groove l in itsinner face, the purpose of which will be apparent presently. In lieu ofthe eastellated nut, any other type of nut, of hexagonal or otherannular peripheral outline and notched or roughened or corrugated in itsouter face, would serve my purpose, as is obvious.

Also a further element hereof consists of a key or pin 5, preferably ofmalleableor bendable metal and of a predetermined length and having itshead 6 at a right-angle to the body portion thereof, the opposite orinner end of said pin or key being chamfered, beveled, or tapered, as at7, with the inclination or slant presented towards the axial line of thebolt, with which as later shown, it cooperates. The pin or key 5 is soformed and of such general outlines as to admit of its being readilyinserted or slipped. into the slot or key-way 2 of the bolt 1 and to lietherein bodily, out of contact with the nut. This is done, as beforeindicated, with its beveled or chamfered surface disposed next to theaxial line of the bolt, and its head 6 received within the groove orslot 4: of the nut and in forcible engagement with one wall of said slotwhen the nut is screwed to final locked position and the projectingportion of the pin is bent outwardly upon the nut as clearly disclosed,particularly by Figure l.

It is observed that by reason of the pin or key being attenuated bybeing chamfered at one end, as described, the operation of bending it isfacilitated and effected with less liability of breakage as pressure isapplied thereto in effecting said bending operation, the pin or keybeing caused to conform to a curved line as it is being bent from, andresting upon the nut a fulcrum, in aiding such bending or curvingoperation. It is further observed that should it be required toinitially insert the kc y into the slot in the bolt, as in inserting itfrom the inner face of the nut and after partially running or screwingthe nut upon the bolt and before screwing it to final position, as maybe found expedient under certain conditions, this may be done asfollows: The key having been inserted within the bolt-slot, with itschamfer 7 presented towards the bottom of the bolt-slot, by inserting asuitable instrument in contact with the chamfer or attenuated end of thekey, and then suitably prying upon said instrument and further runningthe nut upon the bolt, as above indicated, the chamfered end portion ofthe key may be withdrawn from the bolt-slot and be bent upon the nut tolocked position.

in the form of my invention as disclosed by Figure 5, the nut 3 isdevoid of the annular groove 4, and to the bolt 1 is applied a washer 8interposed between the nut and the object through which is passed thebolt for its retention in place. The washer 8 has a slot or notch 9 andwith this notch or slot is engaged the head 6 of the pin or key 5,inserted into the bolt-slot and engaged with the nut whereby the key,washer and nut, all will be interlocked together and upon the bolt.

It is considered from the foregoing that the structure, operation andpurposes of. my invention will. be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

it nut-lock including a bolt having a longitudinal slot severing thebolt threads throughout, a threaded nut applied to said aolt and havingan annular recess in the wall of its bolt-receiving opening, a keyprovided with a laterally extended head adapted to be received by theannular recess of the nut, the opposite attenuated end of said keyextending beyond the nut whereby said outer end of the key may bereadily bent along the outer face of the nut and thence extendedinwardly in contact with the lateral edge or side of said nut, therebyeffecting an interlocking connection between said nut and bolt. 1

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

JAMES HAMILTON BALLENTXNE.

